Updated: Marlon, CDTA and racism

Marlon is such a figure on OTE, he almost deserves his own category over on the right rail. The post on his bid for mayor was one of the most-read on OTE and his mini-profile had several people emailing me saying “so that’s who that is.” His vacation post that ran while I was off was also well-received.

He’s a fixture on this blog, and many readers are curious about the life of Marlon Anderson (I’ve had people mention him when I’m out on a story, or shooting Seen.)

Today, we have some news.

In the social media world (and even on here, to a degree), Marlon has become known for his bid to bring down CDTA for racism. He talked on Facebook, and on various blogs, about how he was laid off from the transportation company last summer due to his race.

As ridiculous as all of us (I’m sure) thought it was that Marlon was discriminated against by CDTA due to his race, that’s a lofty claim and the state had to investigate.

Today, the findings were released. My colleague Jordan Carleo-Evangelist has the story.

101 Responses

Megan, I feel sorry/bad/pity for the man because the fact of the matter is the future employment opportunities for the man are bleak. He’s 52, and now has tried sue his previous employer for racial discrimination. A google search of his name will immediately bring up the law suit (#4 as of right now). No company would ever bring upon the possibility of a lawsuit. Companies are in the “don’t get sued” game nowadays. He is now, too old to compete in the market, and far too much of a liability to prospective companies. If Marlon does get a job, I will view it as a miracle, or one heck of a sales job on his part.

Marlon, are you seriously saying that the local government influenced the judgement because they wouldn’t want you to have the money run in the next election year? Seriously? You really do need help and I feel bad that you have lived 52 years and nobody has pointed you in that direction. Wow! Seriously…

Marlon – While I have my reservations about this issue being in a public forum your insistence on keeping this conversation going shows how much you are just looking to soak in the attention. In your long and incoherent diatribe you fail to address three things. You fail to show that you didn’t sexually harass someone, you fail to show that you didn’t have a poor attendance record, and you fail to show that you didn’t have the second error in doing your work which could have proved to be illegal. I’d be certain your personnel file has ample documentation showing that you’d been spoken to and coached on these issues in the past. Just be glad that can’t be part of a FOIL request.

Your focus has been the race card, which for the four years I’ve been reading KGB’s blog has always been what you play. Focus on proving the facts of what was brought against you and there will be no need to play the race card. I’m certain CDTA could have also looked at productivity records and found the abundant amount of time you spent surfing the internet, namely posting on TU Blogs. You want to post a letter from someone, how about a letter from the person you allegedly harassed denying that she felt harassed. But at least she paid for your McDonalds those couple times.

It’s time to put on your big boy pants and make something of yourself. Something other then the butt of TU jokes because this is easy pickens for them and you bring it all on yourself.

OK, I guess it’s time for me to put my two cents in. I was trying to ignore it but I just can’t help but say something.

I think his claims are false. Sure, I’ve never seen him work at CDTA, but I know there are plenty of African Americans that work for the company (CIP- the driver that picks up people at my school is African American). It doesn’t seem like those people are backing him up. I think that CDTA treats all their workers with respect, and that’s what all companies should do. Disclaimer: I don’t work for CDTA, I’m a high school student.

There’s no evidence to suggest that he was fired based on his race. And him sexually harassing a woman does NOT surprise me. I’ve read OTE long enough to know that he treats women with little respect, and that’s not good at all.

If only there were an option to ‘delete internet history’ for the entire internet…but since there isn’t, the next 52 years are going to be lonely and miserable.

That’s what’s truly sad.

‘Any other person would retreat in shame at this point. But not Marlon.’ – You ain’t kidding.

If this were my situation, I’d be out of state right now, drunk out of my mind, trying to forget all this crap. Then, after a week or so, I’d come back to Albany, start the paperwork to change my name and relocate to Minnesota. Everyone who wants to, should be able to make a fresh start. Sadly, this guy wants to live out the rest of his days as the punchline for a whole new generation in the city his was born and raised in. Better him than me, I would’ve moved years ago.

Interested/Krist – Let me clear something up. I have followed from the start (or close to it, in my view). I’ve been an OTE reader for over three years now. I rarely post comments, but I have seen nearly every post made in the past three years. I think giveaways excluded, I’ve commented maybe a handful of times on Kristi’s blog. Honestly, I don’t agree with a lot of what she writes and always find a certain condescending tone through most posts – which is exactly WHY I don’t comment. No sense in getting into a flaming war with Kristi and her followers.

Having said that, he was a public figure in 2009, when he ran for mayor. Is Anthony Weiner still a public figure now that he’s been out of government for two years? No. He’s in the private sector. Marlon may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but does that give anyone on here the right to literally BASH the guy because his claim was squashed by a government entity? No.

Whatever gets you through the day, I suppose. but I still think trying to rise above the name calling and pot shots is a lot more suitable than saying “HAHA, TOLD YOU SO!”, which, incidentally, also gives him EXACTLY what he wants. Attention.

Mike – you are giving him just as much attention, and with all the times he has mentioned his lawsuit and bragged of the money coming his way…he earned this backlash now that his claims were unfounded.

Maron was a “write-in” candidate because he could not get the required signatures to run on the ballot….and he got NO votes…the man didn’t even go out and vote for himself.

For the record, we are all write-in candidates. You never know who may decide to vote for you in any election. I don’t think Marlon needs to be piled on here, but I am wondering if he has more than one suit. For a guy who touts his uber fashion sense, he sure gets captured in the same outfit a lot.

Pick apart my argument all you want, both of you, albeit with a bit of a passive-aggressive tone, had choice comments for the guy. So you’re no better than he is. Like I said, I hope your moral superiority helps you sleep better at night..you know, instead of what I’ve been saying the whole time, and taking the high road and not saying anything at all.

Anthony Weiner’s wife forgiving him IS NOT news, by the way. It’s a private situation between he and his wife. Again, go ahead though, try poking holes instead of actually listening to what I was saying.

Interested – I’m not giving him any attention, I refused to read his comments as well, what I was saying is just because Marlon tends to make himself look a bit silly doesn’t give anyone a rite of passage to stoop to his level, regardless of whatever news comes out.

Mike, if you think me pointing out Anthony Weiner is still in the news was done in a “passive-aggressive tone,” you have a different definition of passive-aggressive than what you’ll find in any dictionary I know of.

I stated a fact. One that can be confirmed with a simple Google search. Weiner was mentioned in several major publications in the last two weeks, including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and the Huffington Post. You have been reading this blog long enough to know I do not belittle others for their opinion and, more importantly, I do not balk to admit when I am mistaken.

Mike’s right on on this one. The guys an easy target, so much so that he shouldn’t be a target at all. Trying to justify it because he did a means-nothing-in-the-long-run publicity stunt in 2009 is silly.

Marlon himself has stated he is a “public figure”. If you put yourself out there like that you should expect that not everyone is going to treat you with smiles and puppy kisses. He has been rude, demeaning towards women (and others), and is not willing to admit when maybe he should just stop putting his life out there for the entire world to see. He was advised of this on this blog when it came out that he was claiming that he was fired due to race yet instead he just kept running his mouth on facebook and public blogs. Perhaps had he stopped then the decision that came down might have gone differently. If you give people ammunition to use against you, they will.

Mike….aren’t you now bullying Kristi and I because we don’t behave the way YOU want us to behave. I don’t feel morally superior to Marlon…ok I sort of do…I don’t belittle women nor do I treat them like objects. I don’t demean anyone because their body type isn’t what I think it should be, I do cry racism every other comment on the blogs and I surely don’t air my personal business for all to see on Facebook or the blogs, I don’t call myself a public figure nor do I claim I ran for Mayor when I couldn’t get on the ballot….he put himself out there and I have no issue speaking my mind about him. And quite frankly I don’t really care if you like it or not!! I don’t need to pick apart your argument becuase there is no argument to have.

LMAO at the volume of negative comments based on me personally, but yet in the same breath they cannot concieve that there might have been bias against me in this matter! The incredulous stupidity of that aside, the letter, from a third party, a fomer co-worker was just a statement and example of my true buisness and personal character, and while Im sure SO MANY of you find the truth hard to swallow, its the truth! Its just sad that the facts (as usual) get lost in the smearing when it comes to people of color and the seeking of justice! Its how a video taped beating didnt matter in simi valley, a man reaching for his wallet was cause for deadly force or a black youth being in a hoodie was cause enough for a justifiable homicide!

I think the bias against you has to do with the way you portray yourself, the comments you make on the blogs and on facebook, the fact that you exaggerate so much about yourself…why on EARTH would anyone believe you. That aside….the fact that the CDTA employs many people of many different races and based on the fact that you feel like you DESERVE to be promoted and that you cry racism constantly on these blogs…no one believes you…the little boy who cried wolf. If I were you and you were seriously wronged…STOP COMMENTING about it. Your chances of finding another job will now be hampered by the image you are portraying to the people on the blogs and Facebook. It has nothing to do with your race Marlon…it has to do with YOU

Marlon you are like a modern day pop star. You only know the one tune and you play it over and over.

You keep screaming you’ve been prejudiced but you’ve barely spoken about the findings against you and how those three that is THREE incidents are all unfounded. Start there and then maybe people will believe your issue with the race card. Until then spare us the inane drivel that you’ve been feeding us.

Marlon, I might believe this coworker if I saw her and was able to talk to her and verify the story. Just because you post a letter that supposedly validates your story doesn’t automatically make it true. I also notice that you don’t even bother to say that anything they accuse you of (sexual harassment, perpetual tardiness, possible fraud) is false, nope, it’s all about the racism. In the cases you mention, most of them I agree were wrong; however, it does not men automatically you were wronged since these cases are out there. Actions and proof (not just more “letters”) speak a whole lot louder than words

Marlon,
I find it interesting that you continue to cry racism when the position you were hoping to attain was filled by an African-American. Wouldn’t you say that racism is more a’culture’ than a ‘personal’ idealism (not to say it’s not a persons ignorant ideology). Thusly, for that company to be racist….wouldn’t they need to be discriminating against ALL the people of color in your department?… At the very least?

To be ‘selectively’ racist is a misnomer is it not? Can managers like one person of color….and dislike another of the same race in a ‘racist’ environment? To be truly guilty of racism wouldn’t they need to dislike ALL the people of that group…regardless of their job performance?

Isn’t it the least bit possible that upper management disliked the man in office #2 because of poor attendance/job performance etc…NOT, because he was ‘black’? Why does it have to be about race….and not job performance?

According to the DHR findings….”The investigation revealed that ‘MA’ had been counseled as far back as 2009 on issues regarding attendance, poor work performance and inappropriate conduct”.
There is also mention of the sexual harassment complaint filed by the woman you suggest you were purposely separated from….

I don’t purport to know all the details of Marlon’s comings and goings at CDTA…or anything about his job performance or sexual harassment. I can only postulate my thoughts and opinions on the facts presented by the State Department of Human Rights. To suggest that there is a political agenda in play to keep those funds from you in an election year is ludicris, laughable, and undermines your ENTIRE position.
Now PLEASE…stop wasting your valuable time and effort on this matter and become the change you want to see in your community…and by change I mean, leave the zoot suit home!!!

And to suggest that Marlon is a public figure because he ran for mayor – even though he never got on the ballot and received zero votes – is disingenuous at best, or just a rationalization on your part

To #86: To answer your question, Yes, people can truly hate a person of color and love another person of the same race. Its kind of how they hate their neighbor, but love Michael Jackson, or Prince or Michael Jordan. Because, after all, they’re not REALLY Black…how could they be?

I’m not saying Marlon is right, or that his claim of racism is valid, but please don’t the issues of racism out of context.

Again, I can’t help but ask the question that no one else seems to be asking. If in fact Marlon was so incompetent, tardy, wasted company time blogging and sexually harrassed his co-workers…how was he able to be employed by CDTA for nearly 13 years?? Someone please tell me why Marlon was the ONLY one fired in this incident!!!

Lyric, re: your first graph. If you hate one person of color and love another of the same race, than that doesn’t make you racist, it makes you human. We all like some people and dislike others, regardless of the color of their skin.

If Marlon wants people to start taking his claims of racism seriously, he may want to stop being the world’s biggest misogynist. That picture speaks volumes. Marlon please explain why it is ok for you to be so incredibly disrespectful to women because of their gender, but being disrespectful to you because of your race is wrong? What is the difference? I can’t be the only person wondering about this? I’m also not saying that ANYONE has been disrespectful to you because of your race. I’m just wondering why being a sexist is ok in your mind.

Tood, re: the hiring of a person of color, does the words cover your tracks mean anything to you? I mean that so many of you are so blatantly obtuse here is sad! and you are getting so lost in the smoke that you are missing the FIRE! Fact: as I alleged in the ORIGINAL complaint: I was fired cause I raised issue about not being promoted, and the only reason I wasnt promoted was becuase I was black! Fact: the offical reason CDTA cited as why they fired me is because I” fraudently gave medicaid transportation! it had nothing to do with attendance or sexual harassment! Fact: the issue of sexual harrassment was raised by ME, as a example of RACIST conduct at CDTA! and the fact of that is that the issue was raised by a third party who, and Im quoting here was “offended” by how I a black man was sitting with the person, a white woman!!! it was only when such issues were being proven as valid thru testimony it was then that CDTA made a 180 degree turn and said things like I was being terminated due to attendance issues and such malarkey! the facts were tiwsted by the gatekeeper at the DHR to prevent the evidence and truth from being heard before a judge simply and plain, and in support of that, I would love JCE to do a foil of DHR and find out from the case worker who did the interview at a closed door meeting if it was offically transcribed by a transcriber or if she simply took notes herself, and then presented them as evidence! as anyone who read my f-b, I was in heaven after said conferance , because the testimony was so clear, so how could I go from being so sure to be so wrong? as arsenio used to say things that make you go HMMM?

‘To be ‘selectively’ racist is a misnomer is it not?’ I don’t know. Ever been to Alabama? Even your most hardcore White Separatist loves Auburn or ‘Bama football…and both teams are over 80% African-American. So yeah, I think you can be selectively racist…but that has very little to do with this case.

‘…you are getting so lost in the smoke that you are missing the FIRE!’ – Sorry to say, but you are one of those getting lost. You’re so hell-bent on proving your case to the mostly anonymous readers of OTE and Facebook that you’re shooting yourself in the foot. Repeatedly. Your case is suffering because you keep talking. Your already shattered (online) reputation is getting worse with each post.

outraged at the system because the system is so outrageous molly, and be serious does that hot bod look 52 to you! and goose I am not hell bent on proving anything the racism here is a fact, a obvious fact, like Jay-z said I long ago brushed that dirt off my shoulder, but if you think I would let 80 something posts go unrebutted then youre a bigger cleveland Jr than i thought! and Ps Tu Im still waiting for confirmation about my written rebuttal!!!

Marlon the TU doesn’t owe you anything…you can send a rebuttal all you want….no one cares anymore…you are just making a bigger fool of yourself the more posts you make. Of all the comments…there are only a small few that support you or slightly believe you….you have given us not PROOF that you weren’t tardy to work, that you didn’t make mistakes that opened up CDTA to major issues, that you weren’t harassing that woman….you didn’t get promoted because it is clear to CDTA that you are not worthy of a promotion…now let it go and GET A JOB!

I find the very suggestion that an African-American can be accused of being habitually tardy to work absurd.

You’r better off away from there Marlon. Next time you’re hanging out at the State Library, put in an application. We at the Education Department can always use another industrious worker, and can’t be bothered with such pettiness like tardiness and attendance.